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*The Black Eyes Peas' Peapod Foundation has been endorsed by Rita Marley, who said that if her late husband Bob Marley were alive, he would add his support to the philanthropic initiative.
"I admire this group so much," Marley told Billboard.com backstage at South Africa’s Johannesburg Stadium, where the group performed a free concert before 20,000 fans. "Kids these days need messages with their music and that is what the Black Eyed Peas give."
Marley, who first sang with BEP last July during the Philadelphia installment of Live 8, joined the group on stage again to perform “Where Is the Love?” at the South African concert, billed as "The Peapod Foundation's gift to the people of South Africa."
Marley, who will be appearing with Peas member Fergie in an editorial spread in an upcoming issue of In Style magazine, said she and Fergie will work on philanthropic and awareness-raising issues in Africa. Both visited orphanages in Johannesburg together and are planning more work in the future.
"Women need to play a role in educating the youth for liberation," said Marley. "I fully endorse what the Peapod Foundation is doing because it is about making dreams into a reality, and utilizing the power of music to do that.”
The Peapod Foundation was founded by the group to support social issues affecting children worldwide, including housing, starvation, health care, education, poverty and music/artistic education.